BY COURTNEY INGALLS
With the coronavirus becoming a global pandemic, more and more people are focusing on keeping their families safe and healthy. In an effort to slow down the spread of this virus, NYC schools are already closed and social distancing is being strongly encouraged. With this in mind, there are a few easy steps that can be taken to ensure that your child can stay healthy. Some of the steps include teaching them about washing their hands and making them aware of what they should not be touching!
Looking for other ways to stay healthy? Check out Healthy Food for a Strong Immune System During Coronavirus!
How to Teach Your Child to Properly Wash Their Hands
Washing your hands regularly is the best way to protect yourself from the spread of germs and bacteria. While many people do wash their hands every day, some might not know that there is a proper way to go about it. Since kids follow their parents’ example, here is the proper way to teach your kids how to wash their hands according to the CDC.
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (it can be warm or cold). Turn off the tap and apply soap.
- Lather your hands with soap by rubbing them together. Make sure to get the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds ( a good way to keep track of time is by humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice).
- Rinse your hands under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
When and How Often Should My Child Wash Their Hands?
The more someone washes their hands, the less likely infections will spread. Parents should be encouraging their kids to wash their hands as often as possible throughout the day. Kids should be reminded to wash their hands:
- Before eating
- After going to the bathroom
- Whenever your child comes in from playing outside
- After touching an animal or family pet
- After sneezing or coughing
- After caring for someone in the house who is sick
How to Clean and Disinfect Your House
When cleaning your house, you should be wearing disposable gloves. The gloves should be disposed of after each use and should be replaced with clean gloves after every job. If you want to use reusable gloves, they should only be used for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces for COVID-19, and not used for other purposes.
When cleaning surfaces, you should always wash the surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting. Some of the best cleaning products to disinfect are diluted household solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants.
This story originally appeared on newyorkfamily.com
